Putting the 'bat' in Batpug

Robin asked me today how I chose the Batpug persona, how I arrived at such a perfect way to strike terror into the hearts of criminals. It got me thinking about those early days when I first set out to be a costumed crimefighter. I had honed my stocky yet chiseled body into the ultimate weapon. I had also trained my mind, learning every trick imaginable – handshake, roll over, ninjitsu. Yet I knew that wouldn’t be enough. Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot, this much I knew. So I needed a way to tap into their fears. I needed to be a creature of the night, black, terrible ... As I considered and then rejected different costume possibilities – Ostrichpug, Ladybugpug, Poodlepug – I heard a loud crash. Glass rained down on the living room floor, and I looked up to see that a large bat had flown through the window. You might think that I made my decision to be Batpug right then and there, but you’d be wrong. First, I called the exterminator.